Horse racing began in Kalgoorlie back in 1896, when the horse racing in the area was held on a number of different tracks through the Western Australi Goldfields. In the process, the tracks at Boulder, Coolgardie and Kalgoorlie became some of the most prestigious racing turfs in all the area. The Kalgoorie racetrack hosts races by the Coolgardie racing club since 1943, and in 1953, began hosting races from the Kalgoorlie-Boulder Racing Club, who also operate the course. The Kalgoorlie-Boulder Racing Club is known as one of the best clubs in all of Australia.
All of the racing takes place on the clubs racing turf, which has a total circumference of 1934 meters and a home stretch of 320 meters. It is in the minority as its racing is done in an anti clockwise direction, which is a major advantage for horses starting inside the barrier.It hosts several prestigious racing events every year, and a total of 25 race meets are held annually, and two of them are sanctioned by the Coolgardie Racing Club. The Kalgoorlie Boulder Race Round is the most famous race and is held the second week of September. It’s the highlight of the racing season.
There are four other races held by Kalgoorlie Boulder Racing Club, and are hugely popular with racing fans. This includes the Coolgardie Cup, the Boulder Cup, the Kalgoorlie Cup and the Hannan’s Handicap.
The 1,600 meter Coolgardie Cup is in August of every year and features a total prize pool of $100,000. The jockey, trainer and owner of the winning horse are also all given trophies worth $800, $300 and $200. The winning horses bring home $68,000 and there are prize amounts given to second, third, fourth and fifth as well. The prize amounts for this race are very respectable.
The Boulder Cup is held every September and has a distance of 1,750 meters. It has a total prize pool of $110,000 and the owner, trainer and jockey also will up to $900. The winning horse will win $72,800 while the second, third, fourth and fifth will be awarded $22,000, $9,900, $4,400 and $2,200 respectively. Another race that is held in September is the 1,400 meter Ausralian Reliance Hannan’s Handicap. It has a total prize pool of $130,000 and the owner, jockey trainer win up to $1,500 as well. The winning horse will win $86,600 while the second, third, fourth and fifth will be awarded $26,000, $11,700, $5,200 and $2,600 respectively.
Lastly, the 2300-metre XXXX Gold Kalgoorlie Cup is held every September as well, and has a total prize package of $150,000 and the owner, trainer and jockey of the winning horse will be given trophies worth $3,135, $1,780 and $1,780 respectively. The winning horse will win $104,195 while the second, third, fourth and fifth will be awarded $30,000, $13,500, $6,000 and $3,000 respectively.